Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating System Over Existing Concrete Slab

A slab on grade is defined as any concrete slab poured over excavated soil.

Hydronic radiant floor heating system over existing concrete slab.

We wanted a wood floor and spent a lot of time talking to flooring experts. How does radiant heat work. While it was done as a new house was being built in my last house i poured a concrete floor on top of a wood framed floor system and could have put radiant heat in that as well. Due to it s density and low conductivity concrete retains heat very well.

Radiant heat warms a floor s surface through electric mats or water tubing installed on the surface of a concrete floor and encased in an additional thin layer of concrete or thinset. Shimon rura nov 23 15 at 20 05. The heat from the radiant heated floor rises to heat all surfaces in a room or home. From what i ve read the usual approach is.

I m building an addition that partly includes an extension for an existing room off one side of my house here in connecticut. In 1973 it has a concrete slab foundation with radiant heat water runs thru copper tubing within slab. This system does not move the air with blowers and thereby reduces dust and. This is about installing hydronic radiant floor heating in a slab floor system.

Delivered via warm water in plastic tubing installed in a floor radiant floor heating moves out from there making the room feel warm and comfortable. There are several manufacturers of electric radiant floor heating systems that can be placed directly on top of an existing concrete slab. Existing floor is 2 1 4 x 3 4 oak strip hardwood floor. Need to marry the existing oak floor conventional wood subfloor structure to new concrete slab using new oak strip flooring.

We were told the only way to go was a wood engineered floor glued down. 14 years later still in good shape and seems to keep house warm and comfortable. Embedding your radiant heating system into a concrete slab is one of the most cost effective ways to install it and most energy efficient being that concrete is a great thermal mass. This is the best choice for new construction and areas receiving new slabs.

There s two basic types of concrete floor heating hydronic and electric. Though installing a radiant floor heating system can run up to 50 percent more than for example conventional forced air heat it saves 30 percent in energy costs eventually paying for itself. The system works via pex pipe a small pump a water heater and a thermostat. Existing slab foam for insulation vapor barrier subfloor with radiant tubing paths finish floor.

The most cost effective system for medium to larger homes is hydronic since the amount of power it would take to heat a whole home with electric would be substantial. You re going to lose a lot of energy heating the slab ground if there isn t some better insulating layer like foam boards. From a radiant heating perspective it doesn t matter if the slab is actually at grade or is poured several feet below grade as part of a full foundation. I don t particularly like them however because they re not very energy efficient.

Some look like wire fencing that you roll out over the floor.